Tear strip arrangement for containers

ABSTRACT

A shipping container comprises upstanding sidewalls secured together by a manufacturer&#39;&#39;s glue flap and a removable tear strip formed around the container by parallel tear lines which extend completely through the sidewalls and the glue flap. A vertically disposed slot is formed at the corner whereat the glue flap is secured to a sidewall to permit the tear strip to be grasped and removed from the erected container in either direction.

United States Patent 1191 Elward et al.

1111 3,823,866 451 July 16,1974

[5 TEAR STRIP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTAINERS [75] Inventors: John R. Elward, Novato; Stanley B.

Inglis, Greenbrae, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Fibreboard Corporation, San

Francisco, Calif.

A 22 Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 211 App]. No.2 280,090

52 us. or. 229/51 TS 51 1m. 01 B65d 5/54 58 Field of Search 229/51 T8, 51 s [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,706,076 4/1955 Guyer 229/51: TS 3,276,667 10/1966 Johnson et al. 229/51 TS 3,469,766 9/1969 Nelson 229/51 S Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Douglas B. Farrow Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Phillips, Moore, Weissenberger Lempio & Strabala [5 7] ABSTRACT A shipping container comprises upstanding sidewalls secured together by a manufacturers glue flap and a removable tear strip formed around the container by parallel tear lines which extend completely through the sidewalls and the glue flap. A vertically disposed slot is formed at the comer whereat the glue flap is secured to a sidewall ,to permit the tear strip to be grasped and removed from the erected container in either direction. v

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 6:914

FIG. I.

FIG. 2.

. 1 TEAR STRIP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to overcome the above, briefly described problems by providing an economical and non-complex container blank adapted to be expeditiously erected into a closed container having a tear strip formed thereon to expedite a complete severance of upper and lower portions of the container.

In the preferred embodiment, the container comprises vertically disposed and. consecutive sidewalls having top and bottom closure flaps suitably connected thereto and a vertically disposed manufacturers glue flap integrally connected to the edge of afirst one of the sidewalls and secured to an adjacent, second sidewall at a common corner. A continuous tear strip, de-

fined by vertically spaced tear lines, extends through each of the sidewalls and the flap and has an elongated slot formed therethrou'gh at the corner connecting the first and second sidewalls together whereby the container may be separated by removing the tear strip in the direction of the first or second sidewall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other'objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing wherein FIG. I is a perspective view of an erected container having the tear strip arrangement of this invention employed thereon; and

FIG. 2 is an inside plan view of a paperboard blank adapted to be erected into the FIG. 1 container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION- The FIG. 1 container is adapted to be erected from the corrugated paperboard blank illustrated in FIG. 2. The blank comprises consecutive sidewalls 10, ll, 12 and 13 hingedly connected together at common scorelines l4, l5 and 16. A plurality of top closure flaps I7 and bottom closure flaps l8, hingedly connected to the side panels by parallel scorelines I9 and 20, respectively, are adapted to form top and bottom closures of the container.

A manufacturers glue flap 21 is hingedly connected to an edge of a first sidewall 13 by a scoreline 22, interrupted by an elongated slot means 23 centrally disposed between closure flaps I7 and 18. A pair of vertically spaced and parallel tear lines 24 and define a continuous tear strip therebetween which extends through each of the sidewalls and flap 21. It should be noted that such tearlines preferably intersect the outer ends of slot means 23. In addition, the slot means is preferably at least substantially formed through flap 21 to have a vertical length which isa't least onethird of the vertical height of the sidewalls.

Flap 21 is secured to inner surface portions of a second sidewall 10 at a corner common to first sidewall 13 so that the container may be shipped in a flattened condition to a packaging plant whereat the blank is erected to its FIG. 1 condition wherein the sidewallsand'flap are vertically disposed. During the filling operation, bottom closure flaps 18 are first secured together in a conventional manner and the container is filled with a commodity. Thereafter, top closure flaps 17 are suitably secured together and the filled container is shipped to a store or the like.

Upon opening of the container, a persons fingers maybe inserted into slot means 23 to either remove the tear strip in the direction of first sidewall 13 or second sidewall 10, depending on whether the person is left or right handed. The tear strip will assure a clean and accurate separation of the top and bottom portions of the container, particularly since tear lines 24 and 25 are formed completely through 'each'of the sidewalls and flap 21. It should be noted that flap.2l preferably comprises end tabs 26 and 27, secured to inner surface portions of adjacent top and bottom closure flaps l7 and 20, to strengthen the corners thereof.

What isc'laimed is:

l. A container comprising four vertically disposed and-consecutive sidewalls,

horizontally disposed top and bottom closure flaps connected to at least some of said sidewalls,

a vertically disposed flap integrally connected to an edge of a first one of said sidewalls-and secured to an adjacent second sidewall at a common corner thereof,

a continuous tear strip, defined by verticallyspaced .tear lines, extending through each of said sidewalls and said flap, and j meansforming a vertically disposed elongated slot through said tear strip and through said flap at said corner whereby said container maybe separated by either tearing said tear strip in the direction of said first or second sidewall.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said slot is at least substantially formed through said'flap and is at least generally centrally disposed thereon between said top and bottom closure flaps.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said slot has a vertical length which is at least one-third of the vertical height of said sidewalls.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein each end of said slot terminates at a respective one of said tear lines.

5. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a tab connected to each end of said flap and secured to inner surface portions of a respective top or bottom closure flap.

6. A container blank comprising four consecutive sidewalls hingedly connected together at common vertical scorelines,

a flap hingedly connected to an edge of a first one of said sidewalls,

a horizontally disposed continuous tear strip, defined by spaced tear lines, extending through each of said sidewalls and said flap, and

means forming a vertically disposed, elongated slot through said flap and positioned between said tear lines, adjacent to the edge of said one sidewall. 

1. A container comprising four vertically disposed and consecutive sidewalls, horizontally disposed top and bottom closure flaps connected to at least some of said sidewalls, a vertically disposed flap integrally connected to an edge of a first one of said sidewalls and secured to an adjacent second sidewall at a common corner thereof, a continuous tear strip, defined by vertically spaced tear lines, extending through each of said sidewalls and said flap, and means forming a vertically disposed elongated slot through said tear strip and through said flap at said corner whereby said container may be separated by either tearing said tear strip in the direction of said first or second sidewall.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said slot is at least substantially formed through said flap and is at least generally centrally disposed thereon between said top and bottom closure flaps.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said slot has a vertical length which is at least one-third of the vertical height of said sidewalls.
 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein each end of said slot terminates at a respective one of said tear lines.
 5. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a tab connected to each end of said flap and secured to inner surface portions of a respective top or bottom closure flap.
 6. A container blank comprising four consecutive sidewalls hingedly connected together at common vertical scorelines, a flap hingedly connected to an edge of a first one of said sidewalls, a horizontally disposed continuous tear strip, defined by spaced tear lines, extending through each of said sidewalls and said flap, and means forming a vertically disposed, elongated slot through said flap and positioned between said tear lines, adjacent to the edge of said one sidewall. 